The Haskell Free Library and Opera House, a remarkable cultural institution co-located between Stanstead, Quebec and Derby Line, Vermont. Yet today it’s become the unlikely epicenter of a transnational environmental battle. The new regulations set a new precedent requiring Canadians to pass through a formal border crossing to access the library. This reversal has led to widespread protests from Americans and Canadians alike. This development endangers the collaborative spirit that the library has stood for since its opening in the early 1900s.
The library, a gift from a local family, was deliberately built to straddle the US-Canada frontier, celebrating the partnership between the two nations. The library’s main entrance is currently located on the Vermont side, but nearly 60% of the building and its collection of books is located in Canada. It has since become a relic from a time when crossing the border was as easy as a wink and a wave. The opera house upstairs is beautiful and special. This framework opens audiences in the US to performances by artists from our neighbor to the north.
The new measures come amid a broader deterioration in U.S.-Canada relations. Things got to such a point after then-president Trump promised to invade Canada and annex them as the 51st state, and later slapped tariffs on them. A handful of protesters met outside the library Friday afternoon to protest the continued closure.
“Vermont loves Canada. This shared cultural institution celebrates a partnership between our two nations,” said Peter Welch, Democratic senator from Vermont.
The stated rationale for the closure is security concerns. In 2018, Quebec native Alexis Vlachos pled guilty in a Vermont court that he had been illegally purchasing guns. He had intended to use library-style book drops to smuggle handguns into Canada. The Department of Homeland Security pointed to this case, among others, as justification for increasing security.
“Drug traffickers and smugglers were exploiting the fact that Canadians could use the US entrance without going through customs. We are ending such exploitation by criminals and protecting Americans,” stated a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security.
Even with these precautions, local communities remain worried about the impact on this storied emblem of unity. The municipality of Stanstead made it clear that they were unhappy about the closure.
“This closure not only compromises Canadian visitors’ access to a historic symbol of cooperation and harmony between the two countries but also weakens the spirit of cross-border collaboration that defines this iconic location,” stated representatives from Stanstead.